Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

[OlinMusic]

So, I have this bright sounding, 1962 RI CIJ Strat. It has a bark to it that reminds me of the attitude and clarity of a Tele but it's a Strat. The stock pups had a lot of bark, but I got a set of SSL-1s cheap so I slapped 'em in along with new pots, shielding, etc.

Issues:

1) I like the clarity and classic tone that the SSL-1 bring BUT they don't really do punch and crunch as well as I would like.

2) Problem is I want this Strat to sound like a Strat

3) I have always used Lil 59s or real HBs in my Strats, so how do I thicken out the tone? SSL-1s just don't seem to lose that clarity and brightness even as I roll off the tone.

Any ideas on what I should do?

Since I record with the bridge pup I need it to be a great sound! Preferably a Duncan.

I thought of:

1) Go noiseless and thick with the Dimarzio Area 61 or VV Heavy Blues
2) Get aq SC-sized HB but then I am no longer playing a TRUE strat
3) I have heard the SSL-5 is kinda magical and punchy
4) A CS Fat 50s perhaps?
5) Twangbanger? But then I once again lose the true Strat thing.
6) Use a Rat or some other dirt box?
7) I generally like somewhat matching sets so if I get a Fender pup I might just put all Fenders in... hey, I am what I am.

or can I do something like change my caps or get a tone control with a more aggresive taper? Or is it that there really is no answer for a guy that wants a true Strat but wants so good gain tones live, and wants to record with it.

UUUUUGGGGGHHH

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

Easy..

Get a set of Kinmans with the K7 solderless kit.. and add a Villex boost.

The perfect Strat... I have this in my Suhr and had it for a year and I still can't stop playing it.

Not touched my others since I got this set up.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

I'm goingto assume you've done the Eric Johnson wiring scheme (master volume/neck tone/bridge tone). If not, you need to do it. I have that in my own MIJ 62 RI and it works very well. As far as caps, I use a .047mfd Orange Drop with 250k pots. For a bridge pickup, I'd use either the Antiquity Texas Hot Custom or the Twangbanger. I have the EB/Duncan Albert Lee set in my '62RI. That set is basically a pair of underwound APS-2's and an underwound TB. It still sounds like a strat should, but I have a bit more beef and growl from the bridge than most "normal" strats.

 

[Fikealox]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

I can recommend STK-4s. I just put a set in my strat, and they really do sound authentic. The bridge is maybe a bit thin and bright (like the SSL1 bridge), but because it's so noiseless it can take all the gain you want to use. The notch positions sound great, and are very cool under gain with a touch of reverb. If I were willing to lose the bridge-middle split position I would probably get a lil' humbucker for the bridge, but I'm really not sure I'm prepared to make that sacrifice.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

1) I like the clarity and classic tone that the SSL-1 bring BUT they don't really do punch and crunch as well as I would like.

2) Problem is I want this Strat to sound like a Strat

Any ideas on what I should do?

So your problem is you lack some body in those SSL-1... easy peasy; just get a baseplate for them; Fralin sells'em ten bucks a piece. It'll give the body needed to the neck and middle and will get the bridge closer to that elusive Tele twang you talked about. My own Strat is like this. Nails the recorded sound of John Mayer's strat playing "Belief" to perfection.

UUUUUGGGGGHHH

I... can't help you with that! :joke:

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

O! You know what I think about the bridge pickup (that said the Twangbanger is nice too!)...on the tone control issue what value cap are you using??

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

SSL-3 in the bridge.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

I'd go for the set I use: Antiquity Surfers (or SSL-1's which are almost as nice) for the neck and middle and Antiquity Texas Hot Custom (or Twangbanger which is almost as nice) for the bridge. Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

Do you really want a strat that "sounds like a Strat"?
The SSLs are definitely that.

If you honestly want the stock strat notch tone, but also want the option of 'punch and crunch' from the bridge, then I'd suggest a tapped SSL-3 or SSL-5 with a push-pull or mini toggle.

The SSL-3 in the bridge will definitely will do crunch ... I have a few clip examples on my site.

The other factor we obviously haven't talked about is amplification, and yes, a pedal in the mix.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

In my 94 Washburn USA Silverado i have had a SSL-1 set neck and middle with several bridge pickups. I had to find a ballance of notch quack and a thicker than a stock Strat bridge tone. After a SSL-3, SSL-1, Lil 59 and a Lil Screaming Demon I settled on the SSL-5 or 6. I have a SSL-6 in the guitar now but feel that the SSL-5 that came with the guitar matched the SSL-1 RW/RP in the middle a little better.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

The SSL-1's are the Strat tone as far as I am concerned. I paired the neck/middle with a Twnagbanger, which gives a Tele-ish edge to them tone, but it's still unmistakenly Strat. I also have 1 tone for the bridge pickup, and 1 tone for the neck. It's the most enjoyable Strat setup I've played.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

So far I've tried the SSL-1's and the Fender 57/62's and both are top-notch strat sounds for the price. Pretty similar sounds to my ears, though. As far as crunch from the bridge I just did the 2nd tone control works on the bridge thing instead of the middle. Put some 11's or 12's on it and it gets really raunchy.

On my strat I use 12's with a wound G...I cant bend that sucker but it's the BEST rhythm sound IMO.

I usually don't pick up my strat for high gain...the Tele with the D-Activator bridge does that much better

 

[uOpt]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

You seem to be in a similar position that I'm in, used to humbuckers but wanting a Strat sounding Strats. I settled for APS-1s, and a bridge APS-1 in the neck.

 

[jimijames]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

Or you could do what I did:

Surfers (think aged ssl-1's) in the neck and middle
Hybrid Humbucker in the bridge (7.2k screw coil and 4.05k stud coil)
5-way super switch

With this setup, I get 5 sounds that are as awesome as they are distinct:

5. Neck (classic strat sound)
4. Neck + Middle (same as before, but with great quack)
3. Neck + Bridge screw (sounds like a tele's middle position, more so once I get brass saddles installed)
2. Middle + Bridge slug (Like position 4 but brighter and quackier)
1. Bridge Humbucking (like a les paul but more articulate)

I'm also setting up pickguards for:
1. Straight up vintage strat (forum single-surfer-rw/rp twangbanger or texas hot custom)
2. Everything axe w/ rails (cr-vr-hr)

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

Ok so SSL-5, Twangbanger, and the Classic STK4 Stack are intriguing indeed. I fear APS-1s are too spongy and non-Strat, too smokey. I want a Strat sound. Am I wrong that Alnico 5s do that better? I know nothing of the Antiquities. Christian and Ascension both mention tapped SSL-5s. We all seem to agree SSL-1 are that Strat magic - so maybe the SSL-5 with the SSL-1 is the elusive key?

Does the baseplate work?

BTW I am realizing more and more how much I hate 60 cycle hum, but I feel NO TRUE STRAT can be achieved without it. Dimarzio's? Classic Stacks? Kinmans?

As far as caps, I told my tech to put in whatever orange drop a Strat was mean to have. So umm what would that be? lol

I'd like to try the cap thing, sounds cheap. My pots are so high quality they work all the way down the taper, I kinda wish they were the ****ty kind that lop off the highs hehehe

Do I need a bump in the mids to get some singing leads? Or is it output? I have heard guys roll back the tone on their vintage Strats and get thick lead tones, and I have always wanted to know how they do it darn it!

 

[Curly]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

you are a little all over the map with your questions, so I'm gonna suggest you just wrestle with the SSL-1 set for a little while, and make it work as much as possible. plenty of players have gotten along just fine with a stock strat.

as far as caps and pots: CTS pots, and .02 orange drops are fine ... .05 caps get a little dark in a strat, IMO.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

you are a little all over the map with your questions, so I'm gonna suggest you just wrestle with the SSL-1 set for a little while, and make it work as much as possible. plenty of players have gotten along just fine with a stock strat.

as far as caps and pots: CTS pots, and .02 orange drops are fine ... .05 caps get a little dark in a strat, IMO.

I pretty much feel that noiseless cannot be achieved without major tonal compromises. I am just asking questions to see if anyone has any ideas.

So far it seems THE answer is the SSL-5. Too many people have told me up and down that the SSL-5 is not some big overwound tone. It's ALL STRAT but has a little more attitude so you can get some gain tones. The specs scare me, and everyone has the SAME story, that it sounds nothing like a high DC rated pup might seem on the surface. Apparently it has the chime, and hey Dave Gilmour uses them! I love the SSL-1s btw! Just need something more in the bridge.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wtiNzci1Wc - here is DG with Black Strat at Live 8 - WOW WOW WOW WOW sounds SOOO STRAT but with BALLS!

 

[Dan_S]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

I pretty much feel that noiseless cannot be achieved without major tonal compromises.

Man, this is one of the biggest fallacies when it comes to pickups. I absolutely hate the hum that comes with single coils, but love strats and teles to death. Noiseless pickups are a godsend, and the ones that I've got (Kinman woodstocks and more recently STK-S4's) are a vast improvement over the original tone. I don't know where people get the idea that tone is being sacrificed anywhere along the line. Try one and it will smash your perceptions. My strats get all the tone and none of the hum.

That being said, there is a much smaller market for noiseless pickups, and so you may not find the particular tone you are looking for there. If you are looking for less icepick in the bridge, then the SSL5 is a killer pup, but you'll have to deal with the 60 cycle hum.

You should also look into proper shielding as a solution. Check out this:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php

 

[uOpt]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

Half on topic, but where can I learn more about the noiseless ceramic pickups that are supposed in the Jeff Beck Strats?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Ok, are SSL-1s really the pup for me?

an ssl1 bridge pup isnt very friendly to some people. my favorites that are still stratty are the ssl5/6, the twangbanger and the custom antiquitys. a tapped ssl5 or 6 will keep 90% of the notch tone but also give you a better bridge tone. very good option. the tapped ssl3 might work for you also, but i prefer the others.

is there a noiseless pup that nails the classic strat tone? not to my ears. but there are some like the classic stack plus that are really close. 90% of the time i use my single coil loaded strats, every once in a while ill be in a really noisy room or something and ill grab my cs+ loaded strat and it does the job just fine and doesnt leave me wishing i brought something else. having said that, i also only use it 10% of the time. there is something about a real single coil that i dont think anyone, kinman, lawrence, duncan, dimarzio, anyone has nailed.